Capsule-inspection apparatus
AssigneeEli Lilly and Company
InventorStephen G. Staples
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A capsule-inspection apparatus includes a base and a capsule-receiving tray slidable on the base to cause all of the capsules cradled in pockets formed in the tray to be turned simultaneously about their longitudinal axes to enhance visual inspection of substantially the entire exterior surface of the cradled capsules. An inspection mask is positionable on the tray to permit a user visually to inspect the coating dip line of coated caplets cradled in the tray quickly and easily to determine if the coating dip line is located substantially in the middle of the caplet to ensure that the caplet coating causes the caplet to resemble a two-piece capsule.
Claims28
A capsule-inspection apparatus comprising
- a plate member having top and bottom surfaces, the plate member being formed to include at least one pocket having a capsule-receiving opening in the top surface and a floor under the capsule-receiving opening for supporting a capsule disposed in the pocket and a passageway for each pocket having an inlet opening in the bottom surface and an outlet opening in the floor to provide access to the pocket through the inlet opening in the bottom surface during inspection of a capsule disposed in the pocket.
A capsule-inspection apparatus comprising
- a base having a top surface and a plurality of spaced-apart parallel elongated ribs fixed to the top surface, and
- a tray formed to include a plurality of spaced-apart parallel, downwardly opening grooves aligned to receive the elongated ribs therein upon placement of the tray on the top surface of the base, a plurality of rows of upwardly opening, capsule-receiving pockets, each row of upwardly opening pockets being oriented to lie above one of the downwardly opening grooves and extend in parallel alignment therewith, and admitting means interconnecting each pocket and its companion groove for admitting one of the ribs fixed to the tray into the pocket upon placement of the tray on the top surface of the base to insert each rib in its companion groove so that each rib frictionally engages a capsule disposed in a capsule-receiving pocket formed in the tray to rotate the capsule about its longitudinal axis relative to the tray upon sliding movement of the tray on the top surface of the base.
A capsule-inspection apparatus comprising
- a tray formed to include a plurality of upwardly opening, capsule-receiving pockets aligned in rows to form an array and a downwardly opening, elongated groove under each row of pockets, each pocket including a floor for supporting a capsule disposed therein, the floor being formed to include an aperture opening into the underlying groove, and
- a base having a tray-receiving surface and a plurality of upstanding ribs arranged to engage the downwardly opening grooves in slidable mating relation upon placement of the tray on the tray-receiving surface of the base, each rib including an upwardly facing friction surface extending into the pockets of its companion groove via the floor apertures in said pockets to frictionally engage a capsule disposed therein so that each engaged capsule is rotated about its longitudinal axis by the friction surface in response to sliding movement of the tray on the tray-receiving surface of the base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.